Abstract

This article uses symbolic importance of space in Greek thought to reach a new understanding of choral escape fantasies in Euripides: odes in which the chorus express their desire to be in another place. These odes have traditionally been considered merely decorative, and their thematic engagement with their host plays has not been properly explored. The article examines three such odes (Hipp. 732–75, Med. 824–65, Bacch. 370–433, and explores the role of wilderness imagery in these odes. It draws on the use of nature imagery in Greek ideas about sexuality and human development, and argues that the use of imagery acts as an interpretative and ethical guide to the plays’ broader themes, and the decisions faced by their characters.